Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,394 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,990 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,587 in Sala.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sala is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.24 €8.00

-51.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$28.45 €24.64

60.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.42 €8.16

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.73 €2.36

8.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.77 €1.53

-61.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.68 €1.45

-76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.40 €2.08

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.20 €1.90

70.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.09 €0.94

97.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.38 €1.19

31.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.06 €1.78

5.83%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.39 €2.94

-33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$16.17 €14.01

23.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.97 €6.04

-47.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.20 €7.11

65.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.59 €1.38

103.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.52 €1.32

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.30 €2.00

1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.71 €4.08

-56.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.35 €1.17

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.81 €1.57

-19.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.65 €1.43

-40.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.82 €0.71

-41.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.92 €5.13

-26.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.51 €3.91

311.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.05 €0.91

77.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.39 €2.07

10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.14 €0.98

24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$28.68 €24.84

-59.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.37 €1.19

131.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.90 €0.78

14.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$13.92 €12.05

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.80 €1.56

-25.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$25.0K €21.7K

11.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.5K €22.1K

31.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$123 ฿4,105

$240 €208

-48.75%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.77 ฿459

$28.03 €24.28

-50.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$20.01 €17.33

-8.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$42.24 €36.58

43.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$17.42 €15.09

-1.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.44 €7.31

5.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$688 ฿22.9K

$454 €393

51.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,292 €6,315

116.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$61.9 €53.6

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$24.80 €21.48

39.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.0 €65.8

51.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$103 €89.2

-18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$574 €497

8.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$487 €422

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$972 €842

109.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$752 €651

98.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,427 €2,968

0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,339 €2,026

8.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $574 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $248 per month, with Sala cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $2,091 in Sala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $574 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $454 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sala pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,394 in Sala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sala. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.